Episode of care—mental health legal status, code N

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Commonwealth Department of Health, Recorded 16/07/2015
• Health, Superseded 07/12/2011

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Collection and usage attributes

CODE 1     Involuntary patient

Involuntary patient should only be used by facilities which are approved for this purpose. While each state and territory mental health legislation differs in the number of categories of involuntary patient that are recognised, and the specific titles and legal conditions applying to each type, the legal status categories which provide for compulsory detention or compulsory treatment of the patient can be readily differentiated within each jurisdiction. These include special categories for forensic patients who are charged with or convicted of some form of criminal activity. Each state/territory health authority should identify which sections of their mental health legislation provide for detention or compulsory treatment of the patient and code these as involuntary status.

CODE 2     Voluntary patient

Voluntary patient to be used for reporting to the NMDS-Community mental health care, where applicable.

CODE 3     Not permitted to be reported under legislative arrangements in the jurisdiction

Not permitted to be reported under legislative arrangements in the jurisdiction, is to be used for reporting to the National Minimum Data Set - Community mental health care, where applicable.

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

The mental health legal status of admitted patients treated within approved hospitals may change many times throughout the episode of care.

Patients may be admitted to hospital on an involuntary basis and subsequently be changed to voluntary status; some patients are admitted as voluntary but are transferred to involuntary status during the hospital stay. Multiple changes between voluntary and involuntary status during an episode of care in hospital or treatment in the community may occur depending on the patient's clinical condition and his/her capacity to consent to treatment.

Similarly, the mental health legal status of residents treated within residential care services may change on multiple occasions throughout the episode of residential care or residential stay.

Admitted patients to be reported as involuntary if the patient is involuntary at any time during the episode of care.

Residents in residential mental health services to be reported as involuntary if the resident is involuntary at any time during the episode of residential care.

Patients of ambulatory mental health care services to be reported as involuntary if the patient is involuntary at the time of a service contact.

Source and reference attributes

Relational attributes